The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for providing flotation to a wing of a multi-piece toolbar of an agricultural implement, and more particularly to such method and apparatus that employs a center pivot arrangement on the wing of an agricultural seeder.
It is well known that various agricultural implements, such as tillage equipment, seeders, and crop harvesting equipment are constructed in large part of multiple sections arranged end to end transversely to the direction of travel of the implement to provide a relatively wide operational path. Of course, in general, the wider the operational path, the more efficient and cost effective the process, and in farming as in any other business, time is money.
Most often the implement includes a main structural frame centrally mounted on its own wheel structure, and the other sections, which include toolbars and structural members, that are usually disposed at both ends of the central main frame. These other sections are in the form of wings that may be folded upward to make the overall width less and thereby place the implement in transport position. When the wing sections are in their lowered work position, they are usually carried on their own wheels or other supporting mechanisms.
In some known implements, the pivot connection which is provided between the frame of the wing and the central main frame is arranged so that a rigid connection is formed between the main frame and the wing frames when the wings are lowered to their operative positions, but such a structure has the disadvantage of causing the ground working parts of the implement to vary their relation to the ground surface as the implement passes over uneven terrain. An arrangement such as this decreases in efficiency as the width of the implement or the unevenness of the ground increases. To overcome these problems, there have been designed pivoting connections between the main frame and the frames of the wings which allow the wings to pivot relative to the main frame. These designs, too, do not provide a completely satisfactory solution to the problems, i.e., they do not accommodate ground unevenness well, because the wings only pivot about an axis located at their inner ends.
There have been other attempts at improving the flotation of implement wings, some better than others, but improved flotation has generally only resulted from designs that are complex, and expensive, and difficult to operate.
It would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that provide flotation for the wings of an agricultural seeder that overcomes or significantly reduces the disadvantages of prior such systems, as described above.